beauty, and as polite in
their manners as thorough-bred gentlemen. They were delighted in
looking over his picture-books and making enquiries about them. The
prince, pointing to his wife, observed: "This is all the product of
those pots, as, from early youth upwards, we keep those pots to their
mouths, being the custom of the court to have very fat wives."

The king, having supposed that the travellers had been robbed of all
their goods, was delighted with the liberal presents he received, above
all that of a coat of handsome scarlet broadcloth. He told them that
they might visit every part of his country, and when the time arrived
for proceeding to Uganda, he would escort them to the boundary.

Altogether, Rumanika was the most intelligent and best-looking ruler the
travellers met with in Africa. He had nothing of the African in his
appearance, except that his hair was short and woolly. He was fully six
feet two inches in height, and the expression of his countenance was
mild and open. He was fully clothed in a robe made of small
antelope-skins and another of dark cloth, always carrying, when walking,
a long staff in his hand. His four sons were favourable specimens of
their race, especially the eldest, named Chunderah. He was somewhat of
a dandy, being more neat about his lion-skin covers and ornaments than
his brothers. From the tuft of wool left unshaven on the crown of his
head to his waist he was bare, except when his arms and neck were
decorated with charmed horns, strips of otter-skin, shells, and bands of
wool. He was fond of introducing Friz, Speke's head man, into the
palace, that he might amuse his sisters with his guitar, and in return
the sisters, brothers, and followers would sing Karague music. The
youngest son was the greatest favourite, and on one occasion, the
travellers having presented him with a pair of white kid gloves, were
much amused with the dignified way in which he walked off, having coaxed
them on to his fingers.

Rumanika, contrary to the usual African custom, was singularly
abstemious, living almost entirely on milk, merely sucking the juice of
boiled beef. He scarcely ever touched plantain wine or beer, and had
never been known to be intoxicated. The people were generally
excessively fond of this wine, the peasants especially drinking large
quantities of it.

Rumanika was not only king, but priest and prophet; indeed, his
elevation to the throne was due, as his friends a